The Changing Arena of Latin Jazz

Jazz - When most people consider Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party one thinks of, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is actually looking after with this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people about the oasis for a long time with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a spot in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing variety of artists have abandoned the dance floor for several cultural and artistic influences. Today, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from the broader spectrum of the Caribbean and Latin america, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Edm - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played a large part within the expansion of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles just like the festejo and landó into the style also an even more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria is promoting a distinctive approach together with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it's only recently been that artists have place a distinct emphasis upon the concept of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez provides his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs being a foundation for jazz.

Argentina has always been known for it's passionate tango, and many musicians have realized this music is really a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has built a distinct language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler has continued the job of influential composer Astor Piazzolla with a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often think about the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim after they consider the combination of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, but the style is continuing to grow into something far more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has generated upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and designed a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a brand new York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Carnegie Hall - The oasis is certainly still a part of Latin Jazz - just pay attention to the music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo to get a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The design and style has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting a more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and giving listeners a far more diverse experience.